Washing-machine.



No. 819,254. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. G. H. RU'HLMAN & e. 0. MILLER.

WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1905.

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No. 819,254. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. G. H. RUHLMAN & G. C. MILLER.

WASHING, MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 20, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. RUHLMAN AND GEORGE O. MILLER, OF OARDINGTON, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEoRcE H. RUHL- MAN and GEORGE C. MILLER, citizens of the 'United States, residing at Cardington, in the thoroughly washing clothes and other fabrics without injuring the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washing-machine having rotary rubbing devices adapted to prevent the clothes from collecting in a wad at the center and capable of constantly changing the clothes to bring all portions of the same in contact with the rotary rubbers.

Furthermore, the invention has for its obj ect to provide rotary rubbers adapted to keep up a thorough agitation of the water, so that the dirt removed from the clothes will be carried away from the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing-machine constructed in accordance with this invention, the lid being raised. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, the lid being closed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the construction for supporting the inner end of the transverse shaft and the gearing for communicating motion from the same to the adjacent rotary rubber. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of one of the rotary rubbers. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a modification of the invention. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view illustrating the construction of the hinges of the lid.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a substantially semicircular washing-machine body orreceptacle provided with exterior sockets 2, consisting of suitable castings and receiving the upper ends of legs 8. The sides of the washing-machine body, which are substantially semicircular, are constructed of wood and are provided with linings 4 of galvanized sheet metal. The bottom 5 of the body is constructed of sheet metal secured to the lower edges of the sides by suitable fastening devices and soldered to the adjacent edges of the metallic linings of the sides. By this construction a perfectly water-tight joint is efiected, and any swelling or shrinking of the wood will not cause the washing-machine body to leak. The body is extended at one end to provide a soap-receptacle 6, and the outer wall 7 forms a wringer-receiving board or seat. The soapreceptacle has an inner wall 8, which is provided at the bottom with perforations 9, forming drain-openings to permit any water within the soap-receptacle to drain back into the washing-machine body. The walls of the soap-receptacle, which are formed by transverse boards, brace or reinforce the washing-machine body at that end of the machine, and the body is provided at the opposite end of the machine with a transverse bar 10, which is arranged at the upper edge.

The upper edges of the body are recessed or rabbeted at their inner faces to form a seat 1 l for a projecting flange 12 of a lid 13, hinged at one end to the body. The lid, which may be constructed in any desired manner, is preferably composed of wooden sides and a connecting curved top wall secured to the curved edges of the sides of the lid. The flange 12 of the lid is formed by exteriorly recessing the parts, and when the lid is closed its edges overlap those of the body and a joint is formed which will prevent the water from splashing out of the machine. The ends of the lid are reinforced by transverse bars 14 and 15, and the hinges, which secure the lid to the body, consist of overlapping leaves or plates 16 and 17, secured, respectively, to the body and to the lid. The leaves or plates, which are connected by a suitable pivot or pintle 18, are preferably extended to form angle c0rnerbrackets for securing the adjacent transverse bars of the body and the lid to the sides of the same. The leaf or section 16 is provided with a projection 19, which operates within an opening 20 of the other leaf or section, the opening being sufficient to permit the lid of the body to open to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The leaf or section 16, which is provided with the said projection 19, preferably has the pivot or pintle formed integral with it, and the other leaf or section 17 is provided with an eye or opening for the reception of the pivot or pintle. When the leaves or sections are secured to the washingmachine body and to the lid, the pivot or pintle will be retained in the said eye.

Vithin the body is arranged a pair of rotaryrubbers 21 and 22, consisting,preferably, of corrugated conical frustums having central openings 23 to permit a circulation of the water, which is also agitated by the rotary rubbers for carrying away the dirt removed from the clothes or other fabrics. The corrugations 24 are disposed radially of the rotary rubbers and form radial ribs on the inner engaging faces of the same, and these ribs are adapted to rub the clothes without injuring the fabrics. These rubbers are rotated in opposite directions by gearing hereinafter explained, and they are arranged eccentrically with relation to each other to prevent the clothes from collecting in a wad at the center and to constantly'change the position of the same, so that all the various parts of the clothes will be brought into position to be operated on by the rotary rubbers.

The rotary rubber 21 is supported by a spider 25, consisting of a central hub and radial arms, which are secured to the outer face of the rotary rubber. The hub of the spider is provided with a central rectangular opening for the reception of a transversely disposed operating-shaft 26, having a squared portion for the reception of the hub of the spider. The hub of the spider is also provided with a set-screw 27 for engaging the shaft but the spider maybe mounted on the shaft in any other desired manner. The operating-shaft 26 is journaled near its outer end in a suitable bearing 28 of the washing-machine body, and its inner end, which terminates short of the opposite side of the washing-machine body, is provided with a spur-pinion 29, which meshes with a similar pinion 30, formed integral with the hub 31 of a spider 32, upon which the rotary rubber 22 is mounted. The spider 32 consists of a hub and radial arms, which are secured to the outer face of the rotary rubber 22. The hub 31 extends inwardly froin the spider, and the pinion 30 is preferably formed integral with the same. The hub 31 is mounted on a fixed pivot or stubshaft 33, formed integral with a plate 34, which is secured to the inner face of the washing-machine body near the upper edge of the adjacent side of the same. The stub-shaft or pivot 33 supports an angular bearingbracket 35, which consists of a horizontal intermediate portion and vertical portions extending in opposite directions from the ends of the intermediate portion; The lower vertical portion of the bracket 35 is provided with an opening to receive the adjacent end of the stub-shaft, and it is secured to the same by a pin or rivet 36. By this construction a rigid support is provided for the inner end of the transverse operating-shaft.

The outer end of the operating-shaft is provided with a crank-handle 37; but any other suitable means may be employed for operating the washing-machine, and when the shaft is rotated the rubber adjacent to the outerend of the shaft will be rotated in the same direction as the shaft is rotated and the other rubber will be operated in the opposite direction. By this construction the clothes 'will be thoroughly and effectively rubbed, and they will be caused to constantly change their position, so as to expose all portions of them to the action of the rubbers,

and they will also be prevented from collect- 'ing in a wad at the center of the machine around the operating-shaft; also, the center of the rotary rubber at the inner end of the operating-shaft is located below the center of the rubber at the opposite end of the shaft, and this eccentric arrangement of the rotary rubbers prevents the clothes from collecting at the center. The rotary rubbers cause a constant agitation of the water, which carries away the dirt removed from the clothes.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the rotary rubbers diverge from each other from their center to their peripheries; but, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the rotary rubber may extend inwardly from its center to its periphery. This will cause the rotary rubbers to converge instead of diverge.

It will be clear that the washing-machine is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is easily operated, and that it is capable of thoroughly rubbing the clothes and of causing the same to continually change their position and of producing a continuous agitation of the water.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a washing-,machine, the combination of a receptacle, oppositely-disposed rotary rubbers arranged within the receptacle and disposed eccentrically with relation to each other, whereby the clothes will be prevented from collecting or bunching centrally of the rotary rubbers, and means for rotating the same.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, oppositely-disposed rotary rubbers consisting substantially of truncated cones and having central openings for the passage of water, and means for rotating the rubbers.

3. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, opposite eccentricallyarranged rotary rubbers having central open ings, a shaft extending through the openings of the rubbers and connected directly with one of the same, and gearing for connecting the shaft with the other rubber.

4. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, opposite rotary rubbers having central openings, a stub-shaft mounted at one side of the receptacle and supporting one of the rotary rubbers, an operating-shaft extending inwardly from the other side of the receptacle and connected directly with i the other rotary rubber, and gearing for connecting the shaft with the rubber which is mounted upon the stub-shaft.

5. I11 a Washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, opposite rotary rubbers, a stub-shaft mounted on the receptacle and receiving one of the rotary rubbers, an operating-shaft connected with the other rotary rubber for directly rotating the same, a bearing-bracket secured to the stub-shaft and supporting the adjacent end of the operatingshaft, and gearing connecting the operatingshaft with the adjacent rubber.

6. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a stub-shaft extending inwardly from one side of the receptacle, an operating-shaft extending inwardly from the opposite side of the receptacle, rotary rubbers having openings and provided with spiders arranged on the said shafts, one of the rubbers being fixed to the operating-shaft, and gearing connecting the latter with the other rubber.

7. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a rotary rubber having an opening, a spider secured to the rubber and provided with an extended hub having a gear, a stub-shaft mounted on the receptacle and receiving the spider, an operating-shaft having a gear meshing with that of the spider, and a bearing-bracket detachably secured to the stub-shaft and receiving and supporting the operating-shaft.

8. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a pair of spaced rotary rubbers consisting of corrugated conical frustums having central openings, and means for rotating the rubbers.

9. In a washing-machine, the combination of a receptacle, a pair of spaced rotary rubbers consisting of eccentrically-arranged corrugated conical frustums having central openings, and means for rotating the rubbers.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. RUHLMAN. GEORGE C. MILLER. Witnesses:

E. O. TERRY, H. O. HARTSOOK. 

